


i'll be there (in a flash)

by vatonages



Series: i know i always come and go (superhero mark universe) [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Established Relationship, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-24 15:33:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17706917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vatonages/pseuds/vatonages
Summary: it's hard to balance being a college student and being a superhero, especially when your boyfriend gets kidnapped in the middle of the night and you have to go save him





	i'll be there (in a flash)

**Author's Note:**

> hello everyone ^_^ i got the idea of superhero mark and his bf jeno while listening to sunflower by swae lee and post malone and really wanted to do something fun and simple with it! i want to have a few additions to this universe but i wanted it to be something really lighthearted and fun and low maintenance for me so i wouldn't be stressed about updating it super often, though i already have most of the second update written. it'll randomly be updated when time permits bc it's not really linear and it's also not really plot heavy, and it's actually not a very serious au at all. i hope you enjoy! i have a lot of wips so i hope i can find the time and inspiration to flesh those out soon ;; i have been really busy. ily

Mark wakes up with his heart pounding, sitting straight up at 3 AM to answer his phone. When it rings at this time of night, it’s always an emergency. They say the fear is supposed to subside a bit once it’s been long enough, that you get used to it, but that wasn’t really the case for Mark. 

 

Some of the older superheroes say that he cares too much, that you fall into a sort of apathy like with any other job, but Mark has never understood that. It’s not filing paperwork or making spreadsheets, it’s dealing with the safety of human beings. It’s dealing with people’s lives. It should matter just as much every single time.

 

“Hello?” he asks, in a weird state of half grogginess and half clarity, the kind that only comes from being scared awake.

 

“Someone got Jeno,” Renjun says, typing away on the other line. Mark feels his stomach drop. Renjun says it like it’s no big deal, because that’s his job. It would only fuel Mark’s anxiety anyways, keep him from focusing, but the nonchalant tone he says it with still makes Mark upset, even if he knows Renjun is just as worried as he is. Renjun knows Jeno, after all.

 

“Where is he? Do you have a location?” he says. He’s not  _ trying  _ to yell at Renjun, but he imagines his fear is presenting itself as him being pretty pissed off. Luckily, Renjun is used to him by now, doesn’t take it personal. It’s part of why they work so well together. 

 

“Old warehouse, you know the one. It’s right around where all the men in suits do their businessy stuff. They wanna tear it down but they haven’t gotten around to it yet.” Mark trips on his own feet trying to get to his suit on, curses, pulls the fabric on while the phone is on speaker.

 

“How long has he been gone? Oh my god, is he okay?”

 

“Not too long, maybe 10 minutes. I first noticed a change in his location around then. I’m sure he’s okay, Mark. You know he’s not just some defenseless human.” And Renjun is right. Jeno has powers too, just didn’t want to become a superhero. Mark gets it. The lifestyle isn’t for everyone. Hell, it’s not even for  _ Mark _ sometimes, and with Jeno’s abilities it’d make him far too exhausted.  _ The energies, Mark, _ he says with a frown.  _ They’re so strong. _

  
  


“Okay, I’m heading over,” he says, finally all dressed and breathing normally again, not shaking as bad anymore.

 

“Hey,” Renjun says, getting his attention.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Jeno will be fine.” he says, reassuring him. “Now go save your boyfriend, Lioncub.”

 

“It’s  _ Lionheart,”  _ Mark corrects, snorting,  _ “ _ But yeah.” he says, voice softer. “I know. I’ll get him out of there.”

 

One of Mark’s superpowers is the ability to run incredibly fast, and he’s definitely using it, fueled by anxiety and fear. He’s glad he has this instead of flight, because that gets iffy with the government, even if it is the stereotypical superhero fantasy. The government takes unidentified flying objects in their jurisdiction very seriously, and it makes everything very complicated.

 

He feels like an idiot for being so worried when he sees the condition Jeno is in, though.

 

“Oh,” the guy holding Jeno captive says, looking smug, putting his phone back in his pocket from when he appeared to be playing Candy Crush. Mark already hates him.

 

“Look who decided to show up.” Beside him, Jeno is tied to a chair with rope wrapped all around him, looking tired but not very upset, which Mark finds strange. That, compared with the fact that Jeno could have easily phased out of the ropes by now, has Mark feeling pretty confused. There must be a  _ reason  _ he’s let this guy keep him here, and Mark needs to find it out, but he’s temporarily distracted by how cute and sleepy Jeno looks.  _ Focus, _ he thinks.

 

“Why have you kidnapped this innocent civilian?” Mark asks, not sounding very convincing. Jeno rolls his eyes and pouts. He  _ hates  _ being called a civilian, like Mark doesn’t even know him.

 

“Don’t act like you don’t know him,” the guy says, voice nasal and sneering. “You have a picture of him in your wallet. It was easy to zoom in on it and get a closer look, and who forgets a face that handsome? And then I found that same photo in a school database online, found his name and info, his  _ home address.  _ And bam! It couldn’t have been easier to snatch him up. It’s like you  _ wanted  _ him to get kidnapped. You’re not very good at this superhero thing, by the way.” Mark growls at that, eyes glowing, Jeno looking between the two of them. He must sense the tense energy there, that Mark is considering tackling the guy.

 

“I must say though,” the guy adds. “We’ve been talking, and I feel kind of bad for kidnapping him at this hour. He’s rather nice.” Jeno’s eyes soften at that, smiling at him thoughtfully. Mark clenches his fist. Does this guy have Jeno under some kind of love spell!? That’s  _ Jeno’s  _ superpower! Mark growls again, lower and deeper in his chest. Jeno’s vision snaps to him, and he shakes his head almost imperceptibly. 

 

“Full Sun,” Jeno says sweetly, and oh, is  _ that  _ who this is? He’s not much of a villain, more of a neighborhood prankster if anything, nobody malicious, that’s for sure. Full Sun meets his eyes, and oh, Jeno is definitely enchanting him now, not breaking eye contact.

 

“Can Lionheart and I speak to each other for a second? I promise I won’t do anything. I won’t let him do anything, either. I just want to talk.” Full Sun’s eyes look glazed over as he nods. Jeno smiles.

 

“Thank you so much. It’ll just be real quick.” Jeno says, and Mark walks over to him, whispers.

 

“What are you doing? Phase out of the ropes already. Let’s get out of here and go back to bed. Come sleep with me. I’ll take you to school tomorrow.” Jeno frowns.

 

“He’s not a bad person, hyung. I think he just needs a friend. I feel a deeply lonely energy from him. I think he needs someone. I mean, no, he didn’t have to kidnap me. Not at 3 AM, that’s for sure. But I think we should give him a chance. He’s sweet, honest. And he doesn’t want to hurt me.” Jeno says, and he seems like he really means it. He looks over at Full Sun, who’s on his phone. Mark snorts. Yeah, not much of a threat. Is he on  _ Twitter!?  _

 

“You’re sure?” Mark asks, after he’s sighed enough to let Jeno know he’s not a fan of the idea. Jeno is a little sweeter and more forgiving than Mark is, and sometimes Mark thinks it’s a bit too much, that people don’t always deserve all the kindness Jeno is giving them. Jeno nods.

 

“I know he doesn’t wish me harm. I...I’d feel it.” he says, looking at Full Sun, and he frowns. “So lonely…” he trails off. “Oh, Mark. Bargain with him.” Jeno giggles. “He respects you. I can feel that he thinks you’re cool.”

 

“He thinks I’m  _ cool? _ ” Mark asks, incredulously. “Is  _ that  _ why he kidnapped my boyfriend?” Jeno shushes him, laughing.

 

“Tell him to let me go, that we promise to hang out with him some time if he just releases me.”

 

“You’re gonna let him think he’s powerful enough to keep you trapped?” Jeno grins.

 

“Some of us prefer secrecy. Go on, then.” he says. “Make a friend.” Mark sighs.

 

“If you’re sure about this…”

 

“Go,” Jeno says. 

 

“Hey, Full Sun.” Mark calls, and Full Sun looks up, puts his phone in his pocket.

 

“Hm?”

 

“Listen. It’s late. I’m tired. Jeno is tired. If you let him go so we can both get back to bed, we’ll hang out with you sometime, okay? It’s a promise. Lionheart doesn’t break his promises.” He hears Jeno snort beside him, but he chooses to ignore that. He has to, for his ego’s sake. Full Sun’s eyes widen.

 

“Do you really mean that? You’re not lying to me?” His eyes seem to brim with tears, and he hears Jeno sniff. It must be sympathy tears. When the energy is too strong, sometimes Jeno can’t help but absorb it.

 

“He really means it!” Jeno promises. “We’ll go wherever you want. But we have class tomorrow and this has really inconvenienced us. I’m sure you can understand that. Won’t you let me free? I’ll give you my number and everything.” Full Sun sniffs.

 

“I’ll text you every day,” he threatens. “I’ll drive you mad. If you give me a fake number I’ll  _ find out.”  _

 

“No fake numbers. Untie me and I’ll take out my phone and add you. But what’s your real name?” Jeno asks, and Full Sun hesitates for one second, looking between him and Mark before he says “It’s Donghyuk,” and then quieter. “No one has called me that in a long time. No one but my mom.” Jeno smiles.

 

“Well then, Donghyuk,” Jeno says. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  
  


Later that night, cuddling in Mark’s bed, Jeno reads a text from Donghyuk and laughs.

 

“He said he’s sorry for inconveniencing us and that he was just bored and lonely. He says he’ll CashApp me some coffee money tomorrow. Enough for both of us.” He holds the phone up to Mark’s face.

 

“I  _ told  _ you he was sweet. We’ll have fun when we hang out. He needs us.” Mark groans.

 

“I can’t believe you made me promise to hang out with him when you could have just phased out of the ropes and called it a night.” As if to get revenge, Jeno phases out of Mark’s arms, leaving him holding nothing but air. Mark whines. He’s tired and he just wants to hold Jeno.

 

“You don’t get it because you don’t feel what I feel. You can’t feel an energy like that and just  _ leave.  _ It calls out to be recognized, to be loved. It’s like walking away from a hungry child when you have your arms full of food. I can’t do it. It’d haunt me, you know?” Jeno says, getting back in Mark’s arms, Mark humming contentedly. Jeno could never stay away for long.

 

“Yeah, I do know. You’re just so  _ nice.”  _ Mark says, like it’s a bad thing. Jeno laughs.

 

“You’re pretty nice yourself. I happen to know that you dedicate your entire life to keeping other people safe and protecting our city. Sounds like a pretty nice thing to do.” Mark whines, eyes shut, embarrassed.

 

“Stop,” he whines. “It’s 4:30 in the morning. We need to sleep.” Jeno giggles, snuggles closer to Mark and turns to face him, kissing him softly on the mouth. Mark’s eyes open slowly to see him.

 

“Goodnight, hyung.” Jeno whispers. “You’re my hero.” And Mark remembers smiling just before falling asleep. 


End file.
